Lyric poetry blossomed in 19th-century Germany under the fertilizing influence of Romanticism with its focus on the primacy of the imagination, worship of nature and childhood, dreaminess and nostalgia and preoccupation with thoughts of night and death. Although strictly defined as flourishing from 1798 to 1835, Romanticism is not timebound and German Romantic poetry was written both before and after these dates. Indeed, the 131 poems in this volume range in date from 1770 to 1903.
Collected here are great romantic poems by 23 poets: Goethe, Schiller, Hiilderlin, Novalis, Tieck, Brentano, Ruckert, Heine, Miirike, Storm, Nietzsche, and 12 more. Stanley Appelbaum has provided excellent new literal English translations of the poems on facing pages, along with an informative introduction and concise evaluations of each poet. This is a wonderful opportunity for any student of German or lover of poetry to enjoy a rich sampling from one of the world’s great poetic traditions.